We have all heard how important it is to get your “beauty sleep.” While you may think it is just another saying, there is a lot of truth behind it. Lack of sleep has commonly been known to affect your physical health, but did you know it could also impact your skin health? Inadequate sleep can actually accelerate skin aging. Ever notice when you don’t get enough sleep how it shows on your face? Your tired skin sags, you have dark circles and bags around your eyes, and there is no glow to your skin. It’s important to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night because that is when the skin renews itself and old cells are replaced with new cells. This is also when the body is repairing and restoring itself. When your body does not get enough sleep, it releases more cortisol (stress hormone). In excess amounts, cortisol can actually break down your natural collagen, which provides volume and elasticity to the skin. Not getting enough sleep also decreases the moisture levels and pH levels in your skin. Lowered pH levels make it harder for your skin to produce the moisture it needs to “glow.” Along with a lack of glow, inadequate sleep can cause the dreaded dark under eye circles.
Lack of sleep can cause the blood vessels under the skin of the eyes to dilate, which leads to dark circles. Since your body’s cells regenerate while you sleep, getting enough sleep keeps everything working properly and will help eliminate the dark tint under your eyes.
To end this post, here are 5 tips for better beauty sleep!
- Get into a sleep habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day…that sleep rhythm is good for the skin.
- Sleep on your back! Sleeping on your side or on your stomach presses the face into the pillow creating lines and crinkles when you wake up.
- Use white bed linens to avoid dyes irritating sensitive skin.
- The higher the thread count on your sheets, the better!
- View sleep as a positive activity and not a stress.
